The invention relates to an electrical plug-in connector for establishing an electrical connection through a housing wall, in particular the wall of a motor vehicle gearbox. Such connectors contain at least one pin housing equipped with electrical plug contacts and one guide sleeve that can be detachably connected with the housing through a bayonet catch, wherein the pin housing is arranged largely on the inside and the guide sleeve largely on the outside of the housing wall. The plug connector can be fixed in a bushing of the housing wall and on the pin housing an inner and an outer, basically circular, collar are formed on the end facing the guide sleeve.
Electrical plug-in connectors of the above-described kind are used for example for the electrical connection of gearbox controls in motor vehicles. Here generally a mechatronics module is arranged in the gearbox housing for converting electrical signals into mechanical motion. The mechatronics module is connected via the electrical plug-in connector with the housing exterior such that, for example, a connection can be established from the plug connector to the electric equipment of the motor vehicle via a cable.
An electrical plug-in connector of the above kind is known for example from DE 199 03 712 by the applicant. The electric plug connector described there consists among other things of a pin housing, which contains the contact pins, and a guide sleeve. Both parts can be connected with each other via a bayonet catch.
A similar plug connector is known from DE 198 30 672 by the applicant. The plug connector described in this document contains on one hand support elements that are arranged on the guide sleeve and are placed onto the exterior wall. A locking means is provided on the inside of the housing wall, which provides tension between the pin housing and the guide sleeve and/or the housing wall.
Such plug-in connectors are subject to constant development since for example the assembly of the pin housing and the mechatronics module is relatively difficult to perform in the gearbox housing because the electrical plug-in connector penetrates the generally vertical housing wall in a horizontal direction and the mechatronics module is assembled in the vertical direction. This creates not only a great risk of the contact pins being damaged during assembly of the connection, but on the other hand the individual components are continuously improved and simplified so that they can be produced more economically and are easier to assemble.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a simple, cost effective as well as technically safe and easily assembled solution of an electrical plug-in connector. In doing so, it must be taken into consideration that the plug-in connector in the assembled state takes on a substantially horizontal position in the gearbox housing, wherein the housing wall generally runs vertically, and that assembly on the mechatronics module arranged in the gearbox housing usually occurs in the vertical direction. Here as well the pin housing is preferably connected with the mechatronics module so as not to be able to detach.
The above-mentioned object is accomplished with the features provided in the independent claims 1 through 3. Further beneficial embodiments are provided in the dependent claims.
Pursuant to the invention, an electrical plug-in connector of the described kind contains a bayonet catch between the pin housing and the guide sleeve, wherein the bayonet fitting is arranged on the exterior of the guide sleeve and the locking pin corresponding to this fitting on the interior of the outer collar of the pin housing. This way it is accomplished beneficially in contrast to existing embodiments that the pin housing, which supports the contact pins, has a relatively simple design, and that the bayonet catch is now arranged in the guide sleeve, enabling a simpler and less expensive production of both components.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, it is suggested that the bayonet catch is arranged on the interior of the guide sleeve and the corresponding locking pins are arranged on the exterior of the inner collar of the pin housing. In this way, a simple design of the pin housing is suggested, which also simplifies the production process due to the fact that the inherently expensive bayonet catch is incorporated in the guide sleeve.
Another beneficial embodiment of the electrical plug-in connector provides for the bayonet catch to be arranged on the exterior of the inner collar of the pin housing and the corresponding locking pins on the interior of the guide sleeve.
In a particularly beneficial embodiment of the plug-in connector, the guide sleeve contains another bayonet fitting on its end facing away from the pin housing for holding a socket-contact element. Such a socket-contact element, which is located on the exterior of the gearbox housing, for example a connection to the on board electrical equipment can be established via a cable.
The additional bayonet catch for connecting the plug-in connector with a socket-contact element is beneficially arranged on the exterior of the guide sleeve. This way the two bayonet catches on the guide sleeve can be produced in a cost-effective manner.
It is furthermore suggested that the pin housing and/or the guide sleeve and/or the above-mentioned socket-contact element are equipped with an axial stop and that the first or also both bayonet fittings contain no final snap-in locking position to the axial fastening of the components with one another. This is also a suggestion that enables the inexpensive production of the bayonet catches.
In a development of the invention it is suggested that a spring element, for example a leaf spring, is arranged between the pin housing and a mechatronics module. This is an inexpensive possibility to reduce the axial play between the plug-in connector and the module. This axial play is particular of benefit when a mechatronics module, which is undetachably connected with the pin housing, is inserted into the housing interior, wherein the module is assembled in a stationary manner with the gearbox housing and the connector in the housing wall. Due to the spring prestressing generated with the spring element, a flexible, yet resistant connection is created between the pin housing and the module.
The spring element beneficially takes on a circular or U-shaped design and is inserted into a ring groove on the front of the pin housing.
Since the pin housing is conventionally made of polymers, it is suggested that the spring element be incorporated in the housing bottom of the pin housing already during the molding process so that the spring element beneficially generates an axial force onto the corresponding end faces of the module in the assembled state.
In another embodiment of the invention it is suggested to provide a locking element for fastening the electrical plug-in connector on the housing wall of the motor vehicle gearbox. This locking element connects the electrical plug-in connector and the housing wall with each other in a form-locking and/or non-positive manner.
For example, corresponding peripheral circular collars, which can be connected with each other via at least one spring clip, are provided on the housing exterior wall and on the guide sleeve, wherein the spring clip or several spring clip elements can be slid onto the two corresponding collars in the radial direction.